Tag: Animal welfare
News
Read about recent events, essential information and the latest community news.
Significant Surgical Procedure (SSP) Law and Regulations – authorisation, disbudding goat kids and companion animal dentistry
A wide variety of procedures are captured by the Significant Surgical Procedure (SSP) criteria in section 16 of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 that came into law on 9 May 2021. The SSP Regulations commenced on this date too, and mostly allow for non-veterinarians to undertake SSPs, although some prohibit procedures altogether – e.g. cropping of dogs’ ears. The SSP Regulations were developed through an MPI consultation process in 2018/19, to which the NZVA contributed, along with other industry organisations and agencies and people involved with animals.
It is important that veterinarians understand the impact of this law change for them – both when enabling non-veterinarians to undertake procedures (via authorising restricted veterinary medicines) and what is now precluded due to the new regulations.
- Authorising to enable an SSP
- Disbudding goats
- Companion animal dentistry
New regulations for Significant Surgical Procedures came into effect on 9 May 2021
After a 12 month delay due to COVID-19, the new animal welfare regulations relating to significant surgical procedures (SSPs) took effect on 9 May. Amendments to both the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and the Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations 2018 have been made to accommodate the new regulations.
New criteria have been introduced into Section 183B of the Animal Welfare Act 1999. These clarify what procedures are considered SSP, and therefore only able to be performed by a veterinarian, unless a regulation states otherwise. Other regulations prohibit procedures entirely (e.g. cropping dogs' ears, firing/blistering/soring/nicking horses' legs).
The new regulations outline who other than veterinarians can perform some significant surgical procedures on animals and whether pain relief is required.
Transport of Livestock - Veterinary Certification
Veterinary certificates play an important part in protecting the welfare of animals being transported. Additionally, they can protect farmers and transporters from liability.
Unfortunately, MPI is seeing frequent situations where the destination on the certificate does not match the premises at which the animals have arrived. This is usually because the specified premises is not the usual plant or company used by the client, the instructions on the certificate were ignored, or more seriously, the conditions were changed by the supplier and/or transporter, to detail the plant to which they would rather transport the animal.
Regulation 45 of the Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations covers obligation of transporters in relation to animals to which regulations 38 to 43 apply. This regulation requires that the transporter must comply with any relevant conditions specified in the certificate.
While the veterinarian is not liable for any non-compliance with the directions on the certificate, veterinarians should ensure that the supplier understands that the directions on the certificate must be met otherwise persons in charge of the animals along the supply chain are in breach of regulation 45.
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Exclusive member benefit: NZVA Animal Welfare Hub!
We are excited to announce your latest NZVA member benefit, the Animal Welfare Hub! The Animal Welfare Hub has all the resources you need to keep yourself well informed about animal welfare science and to effectively lead conversations about animal welfare with clients.
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NZVA Consultation: Position Statement | Sentience
This is the first NZVA consultation on one of our new Position Statements using the new consultation process and policy framework – this consultation is on the proposed NZVA Position Statement | Sentience. Provide your feedback by completing the online survey by 9am Monday 31 May.
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NZVA Consultation: NZVA Policy | Animal Welfare
The entire NZVA membership is now being asked for feedback on proposed NZVA Policies and Position Statements. The first NZVA consultation on one of our new Policy statements using the new consultation process and policy framework is on the proposed NZVA Policy | Animal Welfare. Provide your feedback on the NZVA Policy | Animal Welfare now!
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NZVA accepts live export ban is consistent with animal welfare science
The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) is not surprised by the government’s decision to ban live exports by sea and believes the two- year transition period is pragmatic for businesses in the sector.
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Live exports
Many of you will be aware of the government’s announcement to ban exports of livestock by sea. The NZVA’s member-consulted policy statement on Live Exports is that;
“The New Zealand Veterinary Association opposes the export of any live animal unless, throughout the lifetime of the animal, its welfare is adequately managed according to the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act 1999.”
The Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Damien O’Connor, indicated in his announcement that the Ministry for Primary Industries cannot guarantee for our animals’ welfare during shipments, and this has driven the decision to disestablish livestock export by sea.
NZVA consultation – feedback required!
The entire membership will now be asked for feedback on proposed NZVA Policies, Position Statements and Standards. This will be achieved using Member Technical Notes/ briefing papers and online surveys.
The NZVA policy framework is also currently undergoing an extensive review. The aims of the review are to ensure that our positioning on issues that affect the veterinary profession are proactive rather than reactive, and to streamline our current portfolio of policy documents. It is anticipated that this review and the required member consultations will take around two years to complete.
The first NZVA consultation under the new consultation process and policy framework is on the proposed Standard for Working with Non-veterinarians. Provide your feedback on this briefing paper by completing the online survey by Monday 19 April.
Veterinary certification for transport
Regulation 45 - Obligations of transporters in relation to animals to which regulations 38 to 43 apply. A transporter must comply with any relevant conditions specified in the certificate.
MPIVS and NZVA have also developed broader procedures to ensure clinical veterinarians and VS staff have a similar standard regarding the certification of defective animals for transport other than those conditions defined under regulation 38 to 45.
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